No Rest for the Nerdy – Vol. 17

On tap this weekend: Portal 2, 3DS, Brink and Mike gives in to his WoW addiction.

by Erik, Joey, Mike & Alex May 6th, 2011

We never stop playing video games. That’s a fact. Even after we call it quits for the week we still look forward to getting home and continuing our digital conquests. It’s our life blood. So we thought it would be fun to share with everyone what our gaming intentions are for the weekend so you guys can get a sense of what we're playing and enjoying on a weekly, non-formal basis. Yes, this concept isn't new to the internet. But hey, we kind of want to join in on the fun. Can you blame us for that? So without further ado, here’s what we’re playing this weekend that will forfeit any semblance of rest…

Also, since we've caught up with the rest of the internet and now feature a comment section, sound off below to let us know what your gaming plans are this weekend.

Joey Davidson: I’m playing catch-up with my life for this weekend. My trip to Japan has left me in love with my 3DS and fiending for some time with Portal 2 and Minecraft. I shall dive into all three, if I’m not busy enough to explode.

For Portal 2, I’m hoping to play even more co-op and start down the path of the director’s cut. The humor in that game is absolutely stunning, so hopefully it ages like a fine wine. I’d rather not spend my second play-through wincing at the old jokes.

For the 3DS? I’ll actually be playing a mix of Pilotwings and New Super Mario Bros…. I know, I know, NSMB is old. It’s still fun as hell. And, where Pilotwings is concerned, I’m currently marching through each mission and trying to perfect my scores. It’s daunting, but awesome. The game was executed exceptionally well, and I hope it serves as a beacon for future 3DS development. Gorgeous, fun, replayable.

Alex Keen: I’m playing Dead Rising: Case West right now. I’m a bit disappointed that I can’t play as Frank West unless I am playing co-op; but, it's still a fantastic new chapter in the Dead Rising universe. It only gets played in the late night hours because, apparently, killing zombies with a fire axe isn’t good for a 2-year-old kid.

I’ve been playing a bunch of Bejeweled Blitz Live on the Xbox 360. Its a decent game but is not as fluid as the iPod or Facebook versions. I find that my scores are way lower than those on my iPod and the only real perk is, sadly, achievements.

Finally, I’d like to get back into Borderlands in the future. Perhaps I can get Mike White or Joey to slot some time in their busy schedules to team up. I know for sure that Erik “Smelly” Norris doesn’t even own the game and would never be willing to quest together.

Mike White: I’m glad to have our buddies back home, safe and sound. If all goes as planned, I should be enjoying a few beers and some Xbox 360 at Joey’s house this weekend. NHL 11 will definitely be on the list, but Portal 2 may steal the show.

My newest job hasn’t left me with a lot of extra time on my hands. I found out the hard way that playing Rift as a rogue at max level can be pretty boring. That’s why I caved in and renewed my subscription to World of Warcraft. Say what you want about my decision, but at least I can log on, put my character in the dungeon queue, and actually do something other than run in circles in a capital city.

Borderlands has pretty much been dead to me. It’s really tough to get motivated to play that game knowing what I do about how it ends and frankly, I’m all burnt out on any sort of quest grinding at the moment. Hopefully I’ll have that out of my system by the time the next batch of MMORPGs are released.

Erik Norris: This weekend it’s all about Brink. Our review copy just arrived in the mail and I’m snatching it up to log in some extensive hours before the review embargo lifts next week. I played the game for a while at PAX East this past March and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m hoping to do the same from the comfort of my own living room, without the claustrophobic nature of a convention setting.

Outside Brink, I may pony up the change for the “Escalation” DLC for Black Ops. While four new competitive multiplayer maps are nice, I’m really interested in the “Call of the Dead” zombie map. That’s the real clincher for me for this $15 add-on. I love me some Danny Trejo and George Romero. From what I’ve been reading around the ‘net, this map pack is just as good as the last “First Strike” DLC.

Finally, I need to find someone to play the co-op campaign of Portal 2 with. Right before Joey and I left for Japan, I finished the single player portion of the package. I freakin’ loved it. Now I need to find a friend that hasn’t yet dabbled in co-op, so we’re both experiencing it for the first time. Wish me luck.